Last week, Lance and I, along with a few other nearby farmers, took an overnight trip to Moultrie, GA to the Sunbelt Ag Expo. The Expo is probably one of the largest, if not the largest, farm shows in the world! There are over 300,000 people who attend the 3 day show. If you're a farmer and have never been to the Sunbelt Ag Expo, it's definitely a trip worth taking!
It was pretty good weather for this trip...looks like somebody forgot his sunglasses!
There are tractors galore at this farm show! Plus, all the implements to go behind them! If it is sold, it is here!
Here's Lance and our neighbor, Ronald, checking out a John Deere tractor that we will never be able to afford!
Anything that has to do with farming is at this show! And even some things that have nothing to do with farming! (I got my wedding ring cleaned, and if I would've waited in line, I could've gotten a massage!).
Lots of demonstrations too! We watched a guy turn some logs into 2x4s!
There was a giant cow (smaller, real cows too!).
And homemade ice cream, grilled corn on sticks, and all kinds of goodies!
We also watched some of the American Stockdog Trials, which was very interesting!
You can also ride a tram out to acres and acres of fields!
There are cotton fields, peanut fields, hay fields, corn fields, sorghum fields, and all kinds of demonstrations.
We were particularly interested in the cotton picking demos. A few years ago John Deere came out with a cotton picker that actually forms a module as it picks. (If you are confused as to what I'm talking about, go here!)
The picker forms a round cotton module that is wrapped in plastic and dropped off in the field.
It seems quite helpful, but has a lot of problems! The big one? It's $600,000. You also have to buy a tractor large enough to haul those modules around the field. You have to line up 4 in a row, so that the module truck can pick them up. The gin has to install a $300,000 machine to unwrap the plastic, if the plastic actually makes it there. Sometimes the plastic tears and cotton goes everywhere. If thats not enough, look at that picture up there! Thats in "road condition". It would take out every pole, line, bridge, and anything else in the way in the county!
Case has also came out with a picker that makes a module. As bad as I hate to say it, it's much better than John Deere!
The modules that Case's picker forms actually look like small modules, there's no plastic, and the gin doesn't have to install anything fancy. It's still $500,000 though. Guess I'll be sticking to working the module builder!
This was by far my favorite booth. Its the Georgia Peanut Producers booth. They give free peanut and peanut butter samples, and fried peanut butter sandwiches!! Mmmmmm!!! They are made just like a grilled cheese, just use peanut butter instead! Yummm!! I would go just for the sandwiches.
Hope y'all have enjoyed my tour of the Sunbelt Ag Expo, and if you ever get a chance, go!
I enjoyed your tour. It looks like it was fun and educational. Kind of like a really big county fair for farmers.
ReplyDeleteMy boys (the little one and the husband) would LOVE to play with all that equipment. I'm still trying to get my jaw up off the floor from Sticker Shock. Holy Moly!
ReplyDeleteWe missed it this year. We love going to Moultri but the seven hour drive is something I don't miss. We usually stay at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center and it is great. They feed you well and have a very nice place to stay. And all of the good eats and all the different color tractors. My sweetpea is old enought now to enjoy it more. The last time we went he was just a little past one. Taking the tram out to the fields to watch them pick cotton and cut hay and harvest peanuts. My husband would stay for hours. We always enjoyed the border collies. Sweetpea would love to have a puppy. We have had three and now " Benjamin" is the only once we have. We have had him for 8 years. I am so glad that you had a great time. We also loved to stop by the pumpkin patch on the way back home. I can't think of the name of it, but it was just on the side of the road right outside of albany.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! My little sister and I climb up on huge new tractors on the farm tour and took pictures. Probably the one of the few times we'll be able to do that!
ReplyDeleteThe Case picker looks humongous!! Glad you had fun!
How fun...I want to go!! Those fried peanut butter sandwiches sound yummy!! I so wish I lived in the south, ya'll have soo much better food than we do here in KS...there is almost no sweet tea to be found it's terrible!!
ReplyDeleteThose new machines have a big price tag like all the ones Caleb is always lookin' at. The only way we were able to get our new tractor was spliting it with Caleb's dad and grandpa...and even then it still put a major drain on the bank account.
Looks like alot of fun!
ReplyDeleteHey there!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that I received my package yesterday! Thank you so much! Love all of it!